EcoPlum Green Living Blog
Patagonia’s Drive Toward Sustainability
by Ciarra Wentzel, March 20 2017, 31 Comments
Worn Wear Wagon from erinfeinblatt.wordpress.com. Can you remember your first day of school, going on your first date, or getting a big promotion at work? Can you remember what you were wearing? I bet your old, beat-up jacket, worn-out jeans,...
Unilever Makes Major Move by Disclosing Fragrance Ingredients to Consumers
by Chryso D'Angelo, February 27 2017, 34 Comments
On February 7, UK consumer goods giant Unilever announced a new transparency initiative. The company will voluntary disclose the fragrance ingredients included in its products (down to 0.01 percent of the product formulation). This is exciting news for anyone concerned...
Dede's Green Scene: Before the Flood
by Dede Tabak, January 24 2017, 31 Comments
“Climate change is coming faster. We have seen extraordinary weather patterns. If you consider the vastness of the universe, planet Earth is just a small boat. This boat is sinking and I think we will all have to sink together.”...
Lab-Grown Fabric is the New Faux-Fur and Pleather
by Ciarra Wentzel, January 11 2017, 84 Comments
Photo: Modern Meadow's Lab-Grown Leather Winter is here and fashionistas all over New York City are eager to wear those new 100% rabbit fur jackets with matching snakeskin booties down city streets. Little do these fashion gurus know that their...
Spreading Holiday Cheer, Sustainably
by Chryso D'Angelo, December 12 2016, 4 Comments
'Tis the season…to dig deep and figure out that one perfect gift which a group—maybe even hundreds—of your employees or clients would love for the holidays. It’s a toughie. Many businesses have their standard go-to, like the whimsical water bottle...
Book Review: Michael Lavergne, Fixing Fashion
by Michelle Blanco, November 27 2016, 143 Comments
A Broken System Most conscious consumers would agree; fashion needs to be fixed. Over the past 600 years, progress has been made in outlawing the unsavory mechanisms propelling this industry forward. While slavery and child labor have been abolished, new...
SOURCE Denim: The New Leading Company in Ethical & Sustainable Fashion That You Need to Know
by Ciarra Wentzel, November 15 2016, 37 Comments
Leaves are falling, clocks were dialed an hour back, and the temperature is dropping—which means it is time to put away the jean shorts and cover up those legs with a new collection of denim pants. We all know that...
Dede's Green Scene: The Creative Climate Awards
by Dede Tabak, November 06 2016, 8 Comments
The Creative Climate Awards is an annual event series, organized by the Human Impacts Institute, that showcases artists who are inspired by climate change and the negative impact it’s having on the planet. The Human Impact Institute was founded by...
Kids’ Halloween Makeup is Toxic? Scary!
by Chryso D'Angelo, October 29 2016, 1 Comment
Copyright: pxhidalgo / 123RF Stock Photo Witches, ghosts and goblins, oh my! Halloween is a great time for children (and adults) to show off their creativity by transforming themselves into someone (or something) else. Oftentimes, a common element of many...
Nanoparticles in Cosmetics: They Are a BIG Deal
by Chryso D'Angelo, October 14 2016, 14 Comments
Photo courtesy of Gisela Giardino via Flickr. The word “nanoparticle” has been in the news a lot lately, but what exactly is a nanoparticle and how can it impact our lives when it comes to the simple things—like beauty? A...
How to Go Green With Silv: Clutter
by Silvia Milanova, September 23 2016, 350 Comments
Photo courtesy of David Wheeler via Flickr. Americans swim in clutter. And lots of it at that. At the end of 2013, the total self storage rentable space in the US was 2.3 billion square feet, according to a survey...
Pay Up, Millennials
by Samantha Jakuboski, September 07 2016, 0 Comments
Ask a handful of college students and recent graduates to name their biggest financial concerns, and I can guarantee you ‘student debt’ will be a top answer. After all, over 70% of undergraduate students take out loans for school, total...
Dede's Green Scene: Bill Nye the National Park Guy!
by Dede Tabak, August 31 2016, 1 Comment
(Aug. 21, 2016 - Source: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images North America) Bill Nye has had a knack for inspiring children to pursue their scientific curiosity for over 20 years. Now, he’s hoping to inspire the nation to preserve our national parks...
Zika’s Here. Now What?
by Kirby Wetzel, August 18 2016, 0 Comments
There’s no doubt about it: Zika is here and it is really scary. Zika has been in the news for months now. In fact, there was a call to postpone or move the Olympics in Brazil, the country that’s been...
Ecological Crisis in Brazil is No Match for Competing Countries
by Ciarra Wentzel, August 18 2016, 0 Comments
Photo courtesy of CBC News (Canada) The 2016 games are on! On August 5th, Rio welcomed the Olympic games in Brazil during the opening ceremony. As impressive as the ceremony might have been, there has been some obvious controversy regarding...
The New Eco Diaper
by Chryso D'Angelo, August 10 2016, 1 Comment
Just when my little one is finally potty-trained, a company called Bambamboos releases diapers made primarily out of organic and biodegradable bamboo! Too bad we missed the boat on this amazing brand! But if you have a little one—or know...
The Ocean Cleanup
by Samantha Jakuboski, July 20 2016, 3 Comments
As a city girl, I am, sadly, used to seeing plastic bags hanging from tree branches, gum and cigarette butts stamped into the sidewalk, and crushed soda bottles stuck between the grates of the gutters. Yet, I must remind myself...
Dede's Green Scene: MorningStar Farms Presents The Veg Effect
by Dede Tabak, July 13 2016, 12 CommentsFashion and Globalization: The Girls All Look the Same
by Michelle Blanco, July 07 2016, 2 Comments
As a teenager, I spent the summers in Spain. I remember being just as excited to eat paella and see distant cousins as I was to discover the latest trends. In 1998, blogs didn’t exist and the fashion industry still...
An American's Guide to Thrift Shopping in Paris
by Ciarra Wentzel, June 29 2016, 0 Comments
Ah Paris, the city of romance, fashion, and trendy cuisines, what would we do without you? As a little girl, I dreamt about visiting what many fashionistas envision as the chicest city in the world. And for many, it has...
Chryso’s Eco-Friendly Beauty Buys: Sunscreen
by Chryso D'Angelo, June 23 2016, 2 Comments
Photo courtesy: pixabay.com When the heat index goes up, everyone's bound to spend more time outdoors. And while it’s sort of a drag to apply and reapply sunscreen (the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends every two hours or after...
How to Go Green With Silv: Cell Phone Radiation
by Silvia Milanova, June 17 2016, 0 Comments
Copyright: lassedesignen / 123RF Stock Photo Looks like our constant pocket companions are under scrutiny once more. Cell phones and cancer—words you don’t want to hear in the same sentence considering how attached we are to our devices. But these...
How to Go Green With Silv: Green Your Cruise?
by Silvia Milanova, May 26 2016, 6 Comments
As a cruise goer, I’ve had many fond memories on cruise ships: winning a beanbag toss championship, exploring the crystal-clear waters and beautiful islands of the Caribbean and seeing a coral reef for the first time, just to name a...
Millennials & Sustainability: Slow Food, Fast Fashion
by Michelle Blanco, May 20 2016, 99 Comments
It’s no secret that the latest trend is saving the earth. From the proliferation of organic food available everywhere to Beyoncé’s 2015 decision to go vegan, more and more people are jumping on the pesticide-free bandwagon. Whether by educated efforts...
Calvin Klein Takes on the Green Carpet Challenge at this Year’s Met Gala
by Ciarra Wentzel, May 18 2016, 0 Comments
Emma Watson (Left), Margot Robbie (Middle) and Lupita Nyong’o (Right) at the 2016 Met Gala. Photo from telegraph.co.uk Luxury fashion designer Calvin Klein is progressively jumping on the sustainable fashion bandwagon. At this month's Met Gala, hosted by Idris Elba,...
Clearing Your Kitchen (and Your Life!) of Plastic
by Kirby Wetzel, May 11 2016, 0 Comments
Trying to make the switch away from plastic? You are not alone. I have not been a lover of plastic for many years but, I have to say, you cannot beat the convenience! Plastic is everywhere! In January, as part...
Chryso’s Beauty Buys: Deodorant
by Chryso D'Angelo, May 04 2016, 0 Comments
The weather is heating up (collective hooray!). That means more time enjoying the outdoors and…sweating. While smelling fresh is my priority, so is using products that are safe for my body. That means staying away from potentially harmful chemicals that...
Dede's Green Scene: These Celebrities Treat Every Day Like Earth Day!
by Dede Tabak, April 27 2016, 46 Comments
Earth Day may come only once a year, but these five celebrities inspire the world to act as if every day was Earth Day. 1. Brad and Angelina Jolie-Pitt Brad and Angelina are more than just Hollywood’s most beautiful couple—they’re...
Who Made My Clothes: A Fashion Revolution
by Ciarra Wentzel, April 20 2016, 5 Comments
Photo taken from fashionrevolution.org Fashion Revolution, a non-profit organization based in the UK, asks this simple, yet hard-to-answer question, “Who made your clothes?” The organization was established after the 2013 tragedy in Dhaka, Bangladesh when a building that housed clothing...
The Last Five—Who's Ready to Combat Climate Change?
by Samantha Jakuboski, April 13 2016, 1 Comment
What do the 5 remaining presidential candidates have to say, and do, about climate change.
Campbell’s Responds to Pressure to Remove BPA From Its Canned Products
by Silvia Milanova, April 06 2016, 0 Comments
Campbell Soup Company, a leader in the canned food industry with over $2.4 billion in annual sales, revealed last week that it promises to phase out BPA-based epoxy across its entire North American portfolio by mid-2017. This comes in response...
Kick BPA-lined Cans To The Curb
by Kirby Wetzel, March 30 2016, 3 Comments
For years now, many have suspected that BPA, short for Bisphenol A, is bad news. Scientists have warned that the toxic chemical is an endocrine-disruptor that will wreak havoc on our hormonal systems—increasing the risk for prostate and breast cancer,...
Chryso’s Beauty Buys: Study reports decrease in harmful chemicals after teens switch cosmetics
by Chryso D'Angelo, March 22 2016, 0 Comments
One hundred teen girls in California switched cosmetics for three days and saw a significant drop in potentially hazardous chemicals in their bodies, according to a new study led by researchers at UC Berkeley and Clinica de Salud del Valle...
Dede’s Green Scene: Stink!
by Dede Tabak, March 16 2016, 4 Comments
Everyone is familiar with the saying, “if you see something, say something.” But how about, “if you smell something, say something?” In the new documentary Stink!, that’s exactly what director/producer Jon J. Whelan does. Whelan purchases pajamas for his young...
Gardening in Fashion
by Ciarra Wentzel, March 09 2016, 0 Comments
Photo by Brenna Dolan Let’s get the facts straight about the real costs of what’s in your closet. The Big Issue Every year, just one single person throws away 68 pounds of clothing and textiles; that is 4% of total...
What To Do About Water Woes
by Kirby Wetzel, March 02 2016, 1 Comment
It is hard to believe that in the greatest country on Earth, many of our own do not have access to a reliable, clean water source. Recently, the Flint, Michigan water crisis has made national news. An emergency manager made...
How to Go Green With Silv: Toxic Feminine Products
by Silvia Milanova, February 24 2016, 1 Comment
Copyright: defotoberg / 123RF Stock Photo This may be an embarrassing subject to some, but ladies, let’s talk about feminine products. The fact is, about 73 million women in the United States use tampons, with the average woman using up...
Milk a Cow, Travel the World
by Samantha Jakuboski, February 17 2016, 4 Comments
Ask anybody to name his or her top bucket list goals, and I can assure you that “to travel the world” is one of them. After all, everybody wants to be a part of New York, New York, spend an...
Jon and Tracey Stewart...the next Doolittles?
by Dede Tabak, February 10 2016, 7 Comments
Last month, a cow made the news for running loose in the streets of Queens after escaping a slaughterhouse. The cow, later named Freddie after Freddie Mercury (lead singer of Queen...get it?!), was captured by the police and sent back...
Chryso's Beauty Buys: Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day
by Chryso D'Angelo, February 03 2016, 2 Comments
Photo courtesy: www.tOrange.us. Most sweethearts love flowers (make them wild!) and organic chocolates (try Organic Dark Chocolate Hearts—yum!), but if your girlfriend, sister, mom, grandma, daughter or bestie is a beauty lover, you may have to think harder about her...
Choosing Quality Dairy
by Kirby Wetzel, January 27 2016, 0 Comments
All mammals when babies drink milk from their mothers’ bodies. However, humans are the only mammals that continue to drink milk into adulthood—and, the milk of another species to boot. Some say this is unnatural and we shouldn’t do it....
How to Go Green With Silv: A Grain-Free Experiment
by Silvia Milanova, January 20 2016, 0 Comments
The holidays are a time for indulgence—hearty pies, smoked meats, homemade pastries filled with sweet jams, glass after glass of a favorite beverage, you name it! And temptations are everywhere—work parties, family gatherings, holiday getaways. Yet, here I am sitting...
Dede's Green Scene: Cowspiracy
by Dede Tabak, January 13 2016, 0 Comments
Golden globe winner Leonardo DiCaprio is no stranger to environmental causes. He spoke to the United Nations about climate change, is building an eco-friendly resort, created the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation, which raises funds and awareness for pressing environmental issues. Lately,...
Top Five Environmental Achievements of 2015
by Samantha Jakuboski, January 06 2016, 1 Comment
Although we are already a week into the New Year, it is worthwhile to look back at some notable environmental achievements of 2015. 1) June 18: The Tree-Hugging Pope This past summer, Pope Francis addressed climate change in his encyclical,...
Chryso's Beauty Buys: The New Hazard To Look For in Nail Polish
by Chryso D'Angelo, December 24 2015, 25 Comments
What girl doesn’t love to glam up her digits with a shiny coat of polish? And these days there are so many adorable options to consider. Leading the pack are chrome and metallic colors, pastels, royal blue and matte black....
Overfishing: An Overview.
by Kirby Wetzel, December 16 2015, 4 Comments
What is overfishing? Overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In this case, the breeding population becomes too depleted to recover. The Environmental Defense Fund also...
Dede's Green Scene: The Anthropologist
by Dede Tabak, December 16 2015, 1 Comment
Climate change is all over the news. Scientists tell us that climate change exists, but it all seems very abstract. What if you could actually see how it is affecting people—today, in 2015? In the new documentary, The Anthropologist, viewers...
Ten Great Green (Last Minute) Holiday Gifts
by Gia Machlin, December 15 2015, 1 Comment
Hanukkah is over and there are only 10 days until Christmas, but for many of you (you know who you are), gift shopping is still very much on your to-do list. For us treehuggers, it would be nice if we...